Day‐to‐day physical functioning and disability in obese 10‐ to 13‐year‐olds. Issue 1 (7th September 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tsiros, M. D.; Buckley, J. D.; Howe, P. R. C.; Olds, T.; Walkley, J.; Taylor, L.; Mallows, R.; Hills, A. P.; Kagawa, M.; Coates, A. M.
• Is Part Of: Pediatric obesity. Volume 8:Issue 1(2013:Feb.)
• Page Start: 31
• Page End: 41
• Publication Date: 2012-09-07
• Subjects: Obesity in children -- Periodicals; Obesity in adolescence -- Periodicals; Obesity -- Periodicals; Overweight children -- Periodicals; 618.92398
• DOI: 10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00083.x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1747-7174

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Summary</title> <sec id="ijpo83-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <p> <list id="ijpo83-list-0001" list-type="bullet"> <title>What is already known about this subject?</title> <list-item> <p>Compared with their healthy‐weight peers, children with obesity have;</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>impaired physical health‐related quality of life</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>reduced physical activity levels</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>reduced capacity to perform certain weight‐bearing tasks in field‐based fitness tests</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </sec> <sec id="ijpo83-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <p> <list id="ijpo83-list-0002" list-type="bullet"> <title>What this study adds?</title> <list-item> <p>First investigation of obesity‐related disability in children using the International Classification for Functioning, Disability and Health framework for Children and Youth.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Obesity in children appears to be associated with disability impacting basic locomotor skills and physical health‐related quality of life.</p> </list-item> <list-item> <p>Children's participation in key life areas related to physical functioning appears to be minimally impacted by obesity.</p> </list-item> </list> </p> </sec> <sec id="ijpo83-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>The aim of this study was to investigate whether obesity is related to impaired day‐to‐day physical functioning and disability in children.</p> </sec> <sec id="ijpo83-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>An observational case–control study was conducted in three Australian states. Obese (<italic>n</italic> = 107) and healthy‐weight (<italic>n</italic> = 132) 10‐ to 13‐year‐olds (132 male, 107 female) were recruited via media advertisements. Assessment of body composition (dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry), locomotor capacity (six‐minute walk test [6MWT], timed up and down stairs test [TUDS] and timed up and go [TUG]) and child‐reported physical health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) were undertaken. Participants wore an accelerometer for 8 days and completed two use‐of‐time telephone interviews to assess participation in key life areas.</p> </sec> <sec id="ijpo83-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Compared with their healthy‐weight counterparts, obese children had lower physical HRQoL scores (<italic>P</italic> < 0.01) and reduced locomotor capacity (TUDS <italic>z</italic>‐score, TUG and 6MWT; <italic>P</italic> < 0.01). Higher percent body fat was significantly related to lower physical HRQoL scores (<italic>r</italic> = −0.48, <italic>P</italic> < 0.01), slower performance times for the TUDS and TUG (<italic>r</italic> = 0.59 and 0.26 respectively, <italic>P</italic> < 0.01), shorter 6MWT distances (<italic>r</italic> = −0.51, <italic>P</italic> < 0.01) and reduced time spent in community participation activities (<italic>r</italic> = −0.23, <italic>P</italic> < 0.01).</p> </sec> <sec id="ijpo83-sec-0006" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>As anticipated, obesity appears to undermine physical functioning in children, including the capacity to perform basic locomotor skills yet, unexpectedly, participation in key life areas related to physical functioning appeared largely unaffected.</p> </sec> </abstract>